A suicidal veteran and a call for help, unanswered

Related Veterans Crisis Line averting suicide via text Recognizing suicide risk For suicide hotline workers, pranks are an unfortunate reality Stars and Stripes coverage of suicide in the military Jacob Manning poses with his service dog, Harley. Courtesy of Jacob Manning WASHINGTON — Jacob Manning waited until his wife and teenage son had left the house, then walked into his garage to kill himself. The former soldier had been distraught for weeks, frustrated by family problems, unemployment and his lingering service injuries. He was long ago diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, caused by a military training accident, and post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from the aftermath. He had battled depression before, but never an episode this bad. He tossed one end of an extension cord over the rafters above and then fashioned a noose. The cord snapped. It couldn’t handle h...